It might be easy to assume that video games are the same in all regions around the world, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. In the case of Fortnite specifically, Epic Games’ mega-popular shooter is vastly different in China compared to the version that we are familiar with here in the United States.
For starters, many of the characters and skins that are available in Fortnite have to be altered slightly due to China’s guidelines. In short, China doesn’t allow anything that could be deemed offensive to appear in video games which means Epic has to find some occasional workarounds. One such instance of this involves the use of skulls or skeletons, which are considered disrespectful in China. So in the case of certain character models, like the newly released Taskmaster skin, Epic has to alter the design so that it doesn’t resemble a skull.
While this seems like it might not end up being a major deal, the number of skins in Fortnite that have been affected are pretty high in number. To date, character skins like Crackshot, Menace, Brutus, and Shadow have all been changed in some manner. Mystique’s unique Backbling that typically features a skull has also been switched up and is instead just a gold ball. Lastly, skins for Ghost Rider, Skull Trooper, Skull Ranger, and the Peely Bone’s alternate costume were never even added to the game altogether.
The major changes to Fortnite in China don’t end here, though. Certain limited-time modes have also never appeared in the Chinese version of the game at all, although China has had its own unique events that other regions haven’t seen. In addition, Arena mode was never added to the game whatsoever.
Even though Fortnite over in China might sound like a lesser version of the game all around, there is one major benefit that players have in the country. Due to Chinese laws that don’t allow loot boxes or microtransactions, V-Bucks are instead given out simply for playing the game. Fortnite for China institutes a sort of bounty system where players can complete objectives to earn the game’s currency. In addition, Battle Passes are given out freely to any player who is above level 30. This is one aspect that I’m sure many others around the globe would love to see instituted in Fortnite as a whole.
Last but certainly not least, perhaps the strangest thing in Fortnite’s Chinese edition is that the game allows multiple players to win a match of Battle Royale. If a match lasts longer than 20-minutes, all players who are still currently playing are declared winners. To go along with this, if any single player is doing better than others in a match, the game will give them the chance to quit out right then and there while awarding them with a Victory Royale.
It’s definitely strange to see how different Fortnite is in other countries, but it’d honestly be nice to see some of these aspects make their way to other regions. Whether Epic Games opts to do that or not remains to be seen, but I likely wouldn’t get my hopes up.
For everything else related to Fortnite, you can continue following along with all of our coverage on the game at ComicBook.coom right here. And if you’d like to chat more about Fortnite as a whole, leave a comment down below or shoot me a message on Twitter at @MooreMan12.
[H/T Top5Gaming]
